How to get a 9 in GCSE Maths

In June 2026 a grade 9 on Higher took 219 marks out of 240 on AQA-style papers and 208 out of 240 on Edexcel-style papers. This page is the mark, the topics that carry the last questions, and a six-week practice plan. It is not a promise of a grade.

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Full June 2026 tables · Grade 9 topic list

Topics that decide the last marks

• Surds
• Algebraic fractions
• Completing the square
• The quadratic formula
• The sine rule
• The cosine rule
• Circle theorem proofs
• Vector proof
• Proof
• Histograms
• Conditional probability

A six-week plan

1. Surds, indices and bounds. Exact answers, not decimals, unless the question asks.
2. Algebraic fractions, completing the square, and the quadratic formula.
3. Sine rule, cosine rule, area of a triangle, and 3D trigonometry.
4. Circle theorem proofs and vector proofs. Write the reason, not only the number.
5. Histograms, cumulative frequency and conditional probability.
6. A mixed Higher practice paper, then redo every question you missed.

Grade 7 was 166/240 on AQA-style Higher papers and 146/240 on Edexcel-style Higher papers in the same series. The gap from a 7 to a 9 is those stretch topics, done with full working.